James Fox Provost Mixture

I'm on a bit of a "cavendish" adventure/journey/trek. Cavendish...the elusive "Keyser Söze" of the tobacco world. Is it cased..is it not? what is it...who is it???? 965 was the first port on the journey, Provost was the second and I'm afraid I disembarked and am stuck on this blend. I love this stuff and love the descriptions below spanning several years. I'm not sure I've read such a wide range of descriptions seemingly including about every tobacco there is. I will say this....read all the worthy descriptions below...and please do try a tin at least! I'm becoming a fan of cavendish, (whatever you are), blends.

While I am pleased the last three reviewers enjoyed this blend, I have to say that they really don't know their arses from a hole in the ground. This Tobacco has Latakia in it, and if Fox says it doesn't, then they are Lying. It has enough that I can pick it out with my fingers. This is a good tobacco blend though, very mellow, leathery, smokey. Fox produces some outstanding blends, and Provost is great.

a quick note to say how much I am enjoying this tobacco. My other favourite is Dorisco so this is another success from the Fox stable. In Dublin Fox's and Petersons have shops virtually beside each other. Peterson have great pipes (Fox's have a pretty good selection too) but the Fox brand tobacco is streets ahead in my opinion. I have yet to find a Peterson tobacco I like but so far have yet to dislike a Fox tobacco. Being relatively new to pipes I cannot comment with accuracy as to the type of leaf etc but if this is an English/Oriental then that is what I like. The room note is a bit strong for my taste but the cool smoke you get from this tobacco is well worth it. A very helpful assistant in Fox's called David in Dublin recommended Provost as his smoke of choice. I can only thank him. Service is a bit eratic in Fox's ranging from superb to a bit grumpy but their tobacco is well worth it. Amazingly they did not know about this website in the shop. They do now. So far the second best tobacco I have ever had after Dorisco, ranking equal second with Bob's Chocolate flake (the only aromatic I like so far)

Update - 9/03/09 - I mix this with Fox's Aromatic (another recommendation by David in Fox's Dublin) and again can only t hank him. I had found Provost slightly high in nicotine for me but mixed with the aromatic (which is very subtle) it is a wonderful mellow smoke - top notch.

This is a fun tobacco to review ... and it seems there haven't been as many as one would expect. I liked Paddy's review and think he covered the tobacco well as per my observations. I don't quite understand how people are finding Latakia in the blend since, ostensibly at least, there is none. It seems that the Orientals, which are very complex and the main star, are delivering in some way, what some find in Latakia, when it is used as a condiment. There's no mistake though ... there is NO Latakia in this blend and the Cavendish may again be a misnomer since there seems to be Virginia Cavendish (unsweetened) in this blend, naturally sweet. My observation is the marketing folks at FOX do not have a clue and opted for an artistic description that isn't necessarilly doing the blend justice. I saw "sweet" and passed on it for years until someone gave me a sample. If that had read "natural virginia sweetness" I would have ventured since I already love Dorisco. They did the same thing on the Dorisco tin. As far as I'm concerned their marketing folks have probably had an adverse effect on overall sales. Fortunately they haven't worked their way into the blending area. Bravo this is good stuff!

This is not overly powerful but it delivers considerable satisfaction and is very tasty IMHO. It is a very complex smoke and while no Latakia is present, it has the characteristics of a smoke that one would typically find it present. The blending is superb, just as I have found in Dorisco. A wonderful pairing of tobaccos that create something mysterious. No single component seems identifiable for very long and I find it a very intriguing mixture and enjoyable beyond expectations. The Orientals are truly remarkable. The burning qualities are terrific (as with all Fox blends a little air time and some light rubbing is compulsory).

Cheers VC

For those who may be considering this blend, you should know first off there is no latakia here. Second, there is no sweet American cavendish; there are no flavorings or casing. There are dark bits in the blend which I take to be unsweetened cavendish. Third, this is an oriental blend or a Balkan blend without the latakia, if there can be such a Balkan blend. It contains some marvelous oriental tobaccos and very tasty Virginias. And fourth, I would not describe this blend as full strength in the traditional, nicotine sense. It reminds me very much of Fox's Campanile in its overall taste effect. The difference I think has to do primarily with the addition of the cavendish which I think gives the blend a bit more oomph and makes it quite distinct from Campanile. Having moved past the Virginia and cavendish, let's move to the main event which is the orientals. There are olive flakes in this mix which resemble candela wrapper. The smoke is mild with no bite. It has that wonderful spiciness of various orientals playing about and just a bit of heft or body from the cavendish. Latakia lovers may find it lacking. Aromatic lovers may find it astringent or too spicy. I love this stuff. My only regret is that, because the sweet cavendish description put me off, I did not discover it years ago. If you like a mix of mild, spicy orientals and Virginia, this will not disappoint. Most highly recommended. Paddy.

Update 08-04-09 I had to write an updated review for provost mixture because of the original verbiage that I used. My how my tastes and experiences have changed. I look at my statements concerning the possibility that this blend contained latakia. HAHa! Back then I knew so little. The truth is still that this is one of my all time favorites. I still view the craftsmanship and quality in provost as top notch. I value this blend heavily now that 965 is gone. The twangy, mild-edginess, of the orientals are so provocative. They are full on the palate and intriguing in the nose. The orientals don't come of as spicy. In a freshly opened tin, the moisture is quite high. The excess moisture seems to cloy the combination of flavors, yet with a slight amount of drying, the orientals begin to "pop" against the smoky sweetness of the cavendish. I really can't say enough for this blend and its level of refined elegance. I can't think of another quite like it in composition and matching depth, given the ingredient list. The cut and quality is everything that I lost when the dunhill stuff went bye-bye.(whining,groaning) Provost is a must try for those who love english/oriental blends. It is a mainstay for me.

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I must say that like the others who have reviewed this blend, cavendish is not what comes to mind. Unless J. Foxes concept of cavendish is tobacco painstakenly cured under a smokey fire of cedar. I'm sorry, but the characteristic charred cedar essence of smokey latakia is just too evident in this blend to pass it off as cavendish. I do believe that there is a trace amount of cavendish present but, not so much as to take this blends flavor away from the beautiful essence of the English style. There are so many likenesses found in many of the great english blends that I have to say that to deny latakia would almost be blasphemy. Oh... but don't let me be the expert, (because I'm not) I'm just going by what my nose and taste buds tell me. Upon opening a tin of Provost I'm met with the wonderful essence of smoked red meat and tangy worchestershire sauce, the same aroma the left me hopelessly addicted to Dunhill's 965. All in all whether or not this blend is complimented by cavendish, latakia, or both, I could really care less. I let the true guruhs debate the topic and, the blender know the truth. This a blend for the ages and is ultimately classic in its composition and quality. Get your self a few tins and be enthralled.

Outstanding English blend! Soft smokey,full,light natural sweetness with the leathery smokey Latikia playing bass. This is a most elegant tobacco and packs well,lights well,does not come too moist,and is most savory.This is not a harsh English blend,it's not edge-y or acrid, but smooth as silk.A really great English tobacco.

Not too sure about the above description ""sweet American Cavendish" . This tobacco is a full english latakia blend that gives 965 and Standard Medium a run for the money . A very nice full latakia blend . Highly recommended .A nice change of pace for the latakia lover .